On Sept. 21, the annual Bonitafest was held at the Sunnyside Library, which celebrated the community of Bonita and the diverse range of cultures that inhabit the area. There are thousands of people living within the Bonita community, many of which were able to come together for a time of celebration and performances. BVH TEDx president and junior Louis Nguyen explained how his club can provide others insight into community problems.
“Our club gives people that form [to take the stage], especially students who have been added to high school and also teachers and others around San Diego to give themselves a platform. And for them to speak about societal issues, societal problems, or maybe our topic, this year’s catalyst for change and basically what we do about the catalyst for change is that we have to take. But we have the responsibility to make our community even better,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen explains how the way the community can be best maintained is through bringing people together with the stage of TEDx, giving them different discussions that they may be able to relate to.
“Our TEDx conference is run completely by high school students with the help of an advisor, which is Mr. Martinez here. But being exposed to something like our community helps us expose ourselves too so that we people who speak at our conference can have a big platform on who they’re speaking to and at the Bonita Festival,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen goes on to encourage others to be more involved with community activities, previously stating how people inside their community can really learn about everything happening inside, as well as showing others what your community really is about.
“When given the opportunity, go to one of these [Bonitafest]. Be more open to these types of opportunities and there’s nothing hurt and basically, just be open minded when you come here and just have a lot of fun” Nguyen said.
Senior and Samahan club member Hernand Parubrub goes on to express the importance of community building; using an analogy to explain the support Bonitafest’s performances typically receive in regards to helping build the community up.
“[The players] like to rely on a fan base to ‘go out hard’ to motivate them. A community is what motivates Bonita, [it is with the support of others that] not only Samahan but Bonita can continue to pursue a better lifestyle,” Parubrub said.
Parubrub elaborates on his own belief in the importance of the community. He expresses how he sees the community working together. This is one of the main reasons why people are motivated to do things within their society.
“Think[ing] of us rather than just me helps me feel better about myself [and] that I am doing something better, not just for me. I am not just being selfish, but I am working towards other people having a better experience,” Parubrub said.
Environmental Science teacher and 2024 teacher of the year Jennifer Ekstein points out how once a student is introduced to a positive community that they enjoy, they can have more of a means to join in on local activities and help improve their community as time goes on they will be more motivated to continue improving for it and return for their community.
“We have a lot of teachers that came back–they were students–that is how tied and entrenched they are. They just loved being at Bonita. Who would come back if you did not like somebody or something, right? We have so many alumni teachers. It just goes to show you that when you have great culture, you come back and give back to your community,” Ekstein said.
Ekstein further notes the importance of high school culture through her personal experiences in high school. She says she has always wanted to do more for her community, and how having an amazing culture can motivate others to join in and build the community.
“Culture is important–especially positivity–because you want to be a part of it. You want to join clubs. You want to join athletics. That is the whole high school experience, it is about having a great time. There are so many things you can do in high school that you can get amazing experiences from,” Ekstein said.
Ekstein shared that when she first arrived in Bonita twenty-six years ago, she felt a sense of belonging after experiencing Bonita’s positive culture and community, wanting to contribute to it and be a part of it. She goes on to note that the more included someone is in, inside their community, the more belonging they can begin to feel, describing it as a “self-fulfilling prophecy.”
“Once you feel a part of something, you start contributing to [it]. Once you contribute, that brings it forward. You educate your students, you educate the community [and]they bring forth more,” Ekstein said.
Parubrub gives a message to everyone either struggling with their identity as part of their culture, or where their community may lie.
“Stay committed. Stay committed to the cultures that we have and be proud of where you are from. Be proud of who you are.” Parubrub said.
